Have you begun thinking about which
summer camp is best for your child? With some 7,000 camps across the
nation, and more internationally, it's no wonder parents find it hard to sort
through all the information. Below are some tips to help you find the
perfect camp to fit your child.

Day Camp versus Residential Camp: Some
kids love the chance to be `on their own' for a week or two, while others won't
sleep well and are nervous away from home. Consider geography as well: a
day camp that's far from home means a parent must make the drive twice each day.
If your child has special needs, such as medication, consider whether a
residential camp will be able to accommodate these needs.

Camp Location: If you're after a day camp,
you'll want to find camps in your general area. However, if you're
planning on sending your child to a residential camp, the possibilities are
endless. Depending on the age of your child, you may wish to send them to
an area that they're interested in, or that offers the activities they enjoy.
With a high-school age student, you might wish to consider a camp located on a
college campus, to give your student a feel for whether they would like to
attend that school.

Camp Specialty: From baseball to scuba
diving, from music to academics, there are a host of activity camps available.
Begin by considering your child's interests, and whether there are any
activities in which they'd like to improve. Next, consider your
observations of your child's skills – are there any areas, such as reading or
math, in which you would like to see improvement? You may need to
compromise your child's dream of a boating camp with your desire to improve his
or her study skills. Consider looking for a camp that might serve both
needs.

Finding Camps: Once you've narrowed down
the camp style and location, there are a variety of directories to help you find
possible summer programs.
You may also want to ask other local parents if
they have any recommendations, as they're a great source of information.

Choosing the Best: Now that you have a
short list of available camps, check to see whether the camp programs are
accredited, such as with the American Camping Association (http://www.acacamps.org/).
Accreditation means the camp complies with health and safety standards, program
quality requirements, and carefully screens their staff.

Making the Final Decision: Request
brochures, videos, and other information from the camps that have passed the
above requirements. Factors to consider include the length of time the
camp has been in business, testimonials, and the camp pricing. Don't
forget to include travel to and from the camp in your cost calculations.
Feel free to call the camp to ask any specific questions, particularly if you
child may need special accommodations. Finally, go over the materials with
your child, and choose a camp that you and your child will be comfortable with.
About SuperCamp and Quantum Learning Network:

SuperCamp is an academic summer camp
program based on concepts that make learning fun and easy. Established in
1982, SuperCamp now offers 7 locations nationwide, as well as international
camps. SuperCamp has graduated over 32,000 students from all 50 states and
70 countries.